An unexamined record

In response to my comments about wanting to get the truth about the Bush years my friend and debate partner wrote:

"humiliation, exile and murder"? Fried misses the point and should be ignored.

I believe Fried said that only savage countries do that and we're not savage. But he also said we should simply leave Bush to the "judgment of history." And it was that sentiment which made me disagree with the original columnist who quoted Fried. I previously posted why Bush's secrecy will make that judgment of history difficult.

Bush and Cheney and their accomplices, in our names, murdered, imprisoned and tortured many victims, both American citizens and foreigners; most victims were and are innocent. There very likely is evidence of crimes against humanity and war crimes. They simply ignored the law. No one in power opposed them, although Congress and the courts had clear legal and ethical responsibilities to do so. Leaving that as a precedent for American gov't means that future presidents can scapegoat and destroy anyone they please without consequences. Some are sure to use those tools of tyranny. No American should feel safe from gov't persecution while that record stands unexamined.

I don't favor anyone going to prison or into exile for these crimes -- nothing will be gained by that -- and I'm opposed to capital punishment in all cases. So, no exile or murder consequences for the criminals, although plenty of exiling and murder was done. I'm not out to humiliate anyone; if that's a byproduct of accountability, that's the shamed person's problem.

What I want is the truth, interpreted through the lens of the rule of law and documented for posterity. We as a society have important lessons to learn from our toleration and participation in our gov't's crimes. Restoring the constitution requires some public discussion of the violations and how they were permitted to happen. I will feel a lot safer if we work through this process of accountability. Immunity grants as a means to forced testimony are the right tool for that purpose.

As for the rest I agree, though I repeat granting immunity won't make it any more likely that Cheney will say a word.